HR: 1340h
AN: A13E-1596    [Abstracts]
TI: Relationship Between Extreme Precipitation Events in the Mackenzie and Yukon Watersheds and Synoptic Circulation Patterns
AU: * Cassano, E N
EM: ecassano@cires.colorado.edu
AF: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, UCB 216 University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
AU: Cassano, J J
EM: John.Cassano@colorado.edu
AF: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, UCB 216 University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
AU: Cassano, J J
EM: John.Cassano@colorado.edu
AF: Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, UCB 311 University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
AB: The relationships between synoptic circulation patterns and extreme precipitation events in northwestern North America are investigated. The method of self-organizing maps (SOMs) is used to objectively identify synoptic circulation patterns in sea level pressure data from the ERA40 Reanalysis over the time period of 1957-2002. Days with extreme basin-averaged precipitation values (defined as days in the top 10th and 1st percentiles) were identified for the Mackenzie and Yukon watersheds using precipitation from the ERA40 Reanalysis dataset. The synoptic patterns associated with the extreme events were identified for both annual and seasonal time scales to allow for analysis of the patterns responsible for extreme events throughout the year. Many of the extreme events identified were associated with synoptic patterns characterized by pronounced cyclonic systems.
DE: 1817 Extreme events
DE: 3349 Polar meteorology
DE: 3354 Precipitation (1854)
DE: 3364 Synoptic-scale meteorology
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting